Jean-Jacques Beineix on Nastassja

I will be posting more quotes from Beineix on his THE MOON IN THE GUTTER throughout the next week. I did think these two were worth posting separately as they sum up nicely how essential she was to his film. This first one is taken from the Playboy cover story in 1983 just before THE MOON IN THE GUTTER was released.

"In my movie, she's a queen in the trash, dressed by Dior and driving a red Ferrari, and with a world of dirt, despair and ugliness around her. She has to be perverse, tender, sweet and cruel-the eternal feminine. It's complex, but Nastassja is a dream and totally professional, demanding a lot from a director and never quite satisfied, because she gives you everything from herself, every time...until you have to stop her, finally, and ask her to save something for the next take. She's a star, which in any language means more than being an actress or having technique. It's that something special, a gift from God. Like Garbo, like Monroe. She's one of them."

This second one was after the film had come out to its disastrous reception and is taken from an article in Time magazine.

"Nastassja was perfect for the part. I was completely seduced by her. I caressed her face on my editing table. But I found that she requires a lot of care, love and work. She makes great demands-and woe to the director who cannot satisfy them. You have to be strong with Nastassja. Otherwise she will devour you."